We have the opportunity to use Second Life (SL) as part of our ITGS course and will spend the last 6 weeks of this year (Grade 11, 2011) researching the best way to use this new medium for teaching and learning. Joining us is Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, a Fulbright Scholar resident in Beijing this semester. SL Schedule May-June 2011
To get started, each student is to set up a Personal Journal on this wiki - hyperlinked below.
Open your new Journal, add an appropriate heading and then copy and paste the pre-SL survey questions below. Your journal is to be completed each week, in blog-style (reverse chronological order). During this time you will document your adventures in SL AS WELL as link to sections of work we will complete as part of the ITGS syllabus to do with Strand 1 - People and Machines & Digital Citizenship and Strand 2 - Education and Training and Strand 3 - Internet
Write a paragraph describing the technical setup needed to access SL. Make sure it is clear so that a novice can start using SL from your instructions.
Write another paragraph defining these terms and using them to show understanding of the IT concept: avatar, machinima, teleport, render, streaming audio
What impact has SL or virtual worlds had on education? Explore these to write your answer:
MUD - what is a MUD? a MMORPGs? (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) (Definition, example)
How could SL or similar virtual learning environment support learning?
Where will you go and who will you meet?
Join China International Schools Inworld (CISI) - search for CISI, you will be invited once we know your avatar name.
Questions about you as a Learner
1) Describe your classroom personality (shy, outgoing, personable, engaged, etc).
2) How effective are you at communicating with other students and teachers on a day-to-day basis (Rate yourself from 1-5 with 1 meaning you are not effective and 5 meaning you are very effective).
3) How important do you think it is for your learning to have a “sense of community” in the classroom? Please explain.
4) Are there some learning (classroom) activities where the use of technology helps you learn? If so, please explain why?
5) Are there some learning (classroom) activities where technology does not help you learn? If so, please explain why?
General Questions about Technology
6) What are some ways that technology may connect people together?
7) What are some ways that technology may make people feel disconnected?
8) Is there anything that you don’t like about technology? If so, explain.
9) What role does technology play in your learning?
10) Are there any ways that technology gets in the way of your learning? If yes, provide some examples.
Questions about Virtual Learning
11) What are the virtual learning tools we use in the classroom already? Describe briefly how these are used to support your learning.
12) What do you think are the advantages of using tools that allow us to connect and collaborate online? What are the disadvantages?
13) Have you had a 3D virtual world experience before? If yes, describe your experience.
14) What do you think classroom learning will be like inside a virtual world like Second Life (SL)?
15) What importance, if any, do you place in creating your own avatar?
16) What role do you think your avatar will play in how you interact with your classmates and teacher in SL?
17) Do you think learning inside SL will be challenging? If so, how?
18) What sort of classroom ITGS activities do you think will be possible inside SL?
19) How might relationships in a virtual world like SL be different from face-to-face interactions?
Teaching and Learning using Second Life
We have the opportunity to use Second Life (SL) as part of our ITGS course and will spend the last 6 weeks of this year (Grade 11, 2011) researching the best way to use this new medium for teaching and learning. Joining us is Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, a Fulbright Scholar resident in Beijing this semester.SL Schedule May-June 2011
**SL Adventures with students at BISS**
Table of Contents
Open your new Journal, add an appropriate heading and then copy and paste the pre-SL survey questions below. Your journal is to be completed each week, in blog-style (reverse chronological order). During this time you will document your adventures in SL AS WELL as link to sections of work we will complete as part of the ITGS syllabus to do with Strand 1 - People and Machines & Digital Citizenship and Strand 2 - Education and Training and Strand 3 - Internet
Machinima Project
Team A - Violet and Ye EunTeam B - Kae and Shawn
Team C - Chen and Katherine
TEAM D - Yae and Bhargav
Team E - Alic and John
Student Journals:
Add your AVATAR name next to your journal link!SL_Violet - au03f0002
SL_John - iyss0104
SL_Alic -AlicPangBISS
SL_Ye Eun - yeeun916
SL_Kae - kaeF8
SL_Katharine - okayyem
SL_Yae - yaeFBISSinternationalschool
SL_Shawn -ShawnParkBISS
SL_Bhargav - WhiteLion1994
SL_Chen -ChenD1250
WEEK 2-Week 4
Mini-Research Project - To be completed for homework
In your Journals discuss these questions:
Recording in SL: What is Machinima?
Explore these websites:Getting started with Machinima: tech tools
Shopping in SL: Tips and Tricks
WEEK 1
Communicating and Connecting in SL
Where will you go and who will you meet?Join China International Schools Inworld (CISI) - search for CISI, you will be invited once we know your avatar name.
Getting a Second Life!
Resources: See Education & Training wiki for Diigo feeds as wellDOWNLOAD the SL viewer
Getting started in SL
Video Tutorials: SL on YouTube
Second Life Research - Pre-Survey Questions
Questions about you as a Learner1) Describe your classroom personality (shy, outgoing, personable, engaged, etc).
2) How effective are you at communicating with other students and teachers on a day-to-day basis (Rate yourself from 1-5 with 1 meaning you are not effective and 5 meaning you are very effective).
3) How important do you think it is for your learning to have a “sense of community” in the classroom? Please explain.
4) Are there some learning (classroom) activities where the use of technology helps you learn? If so, please explain why?
5) Are there some learning (classroom) activities where technology does not help you learn? If so, please explain why?
General Questions about Technology
6) What are some ways that technology may connect people together?
7) What are some ways that technology may make people feel disconnected?
8) Is there anything that you don’t like about technology? If so, explain.
9) What role does technology play in your learning?
10) Are there any ways that technology gets in the way of your learning? If yes, provide some examples.
Questions about Virtual Learning
11) What are the virtual learning tools we use in the classroom already? Describe briefly how these are used to support your learning.
12) What do you think are the advantages of using tools that allow us to connect and collaborate online? What are the disadvantages?
13) Have you had a 3D virtual world experience before? If yes, describe your experience.
14) What do you think classroom learning will be like inside a virtual world like Second Life (SL)?
15) What importance, if any, do you place in creating your own avatar?
16) What role do you think your avatar will play in how you interact with your classmates and teacher in SL?
17) Do you think learning inside SL will be challenging? If so, how?
18) What sort of classroom ITGS activities do you think will be possible inside SL?
19) How might relationships in a virtual world like SL be different from face-to-face interactions?